SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Capt. Conrad Schubert rallied his reserves Monday at Yellowknife C Company Headquarters for an important mission: to clean the office as the general was coming to town.

Gen. Walter Natynczyk visited Yellowknife C Company Reserves and Joint Task Force North soldiers in Yellowknife during a visit to the North. - Kira Curtis/NNSL photo

The highest ranking soldier in the Canadian Forces, Gen. Walter Natynczyk, who took over from Gen. Rick Hillier as the Chief of Defence Staff in 2008, visited his troops in Yk this week.

"Everyone calls him sir," Schubert joked about the seniority of the visitor.

Natynczyk soared through Schubert's corridors with confidence and a charisma generals are meant to emit. He greeted the young reserves he passed, shaking their hands with one hand, patting their shoulders with the other. After taking a knee for a photo, he plopped himself down on a side table as if it were a rock in the field and there were nowhere better suited to sit.

"This is my third trip up here, and normally I come in the summer, just before an exercise," Natynczyk said sitting at ease, hands firm on his knees of his army combat uniform. "But being a good Winnipegger, I'm not afraid of the cold."

The general was in town only one night to visit with the troops at Joint Task Force North, but was prompted to visit Schubert's office, the first army reserve office in the North. In its first 18 months, the interest in the reserve program has been greater than anyone expected.

"We exceeded what they thought we'd get," Schubert said from the new classroom allocated for reserve soldier training in the Diamond Plaza, downtown.

What started off as a two-man operation in June 2009 has now grown into 27 reservists and a new training office.

Schubert, who commands the Yellowknife C Company, had originally targeted recruiting 30 to 60 reserve members by 2014, but less than halfway to that mark he is almost at target numbers.

Schubert guessed that one of the reasons recruitment has been easier here is that Yellowknife has a young and active demographic.

"We look for people who aren't afraid to go outside, winter or summer." Schubert said, explaining that Yellowknifers do outdoorsy activities recreationally, so why not get paid for those adventures. "A: it's interesting, and B: it pays."

Natynczyk echoed the importance of the reserves and the Junior Canadian Ranger program.

"The Canadian government has given us a mandate to grow the Rangers," Natynczyk said. "And then similarly, how many more children can we get into the Canadian Ranger program, so you have those village elders actually teaching their own kids those natural skills."

The allure of training in extreme conditions draws outdoorsy reserves from across Canada.

Pte. Nicholas Frieger, and brothers Pte. Kyle and Pte. Ryan Deveau made the decision to move to Yellowknife from Victoria, B.C., to join the reserves here.

Joking about the myth of horrible barracks and awful military food, Ryan brags they get Chef Pierre's Catering every week.

"The food's amazing," he boasts, adding that they might yell at you in training, but it's worth it.

All three said they love the challenge of training up North.

"Our hands are raw from this weekends (weapons) training," Kyle laughed, but adds that they're fully suited for the extreme conditions North of 60. "We have the proper equipment, parkas, gloves and good boots. They give you everything you need, really."

Kyle works part time at Home Hardware along with Frieger, and both are grateful to have a job where they can take time off to train. In order to join the reserves, one must have one to three months free time to begin training.

"If it ever came to a choice," Frieger said about his retail job, "It's hands down for the military."

All three of the reserves say that a career in the Forces would be their ideal job, and for them, this is the first step.

But Schubert said they have recruited and trained people with all sorts of day jobs such as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, RCMP, a firefighter and even a school principal. He said 24 of the 27 reservists have full-time careers, but take the time off because they've always wanted the training and challenge.

Natynczyk travelled west to Whitehorse Tuesday.

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